Coupons

So, I had this dream.  Not a dream while I was sleeping but, maybe call it a daydream, I guess.

I'm sure by now you've heard of TLC's show Extreme Couponing and how these people take home nearly $1000 worth of groceries for little or no money.  Wouldn't that be great!?!  To have that ability?  To have a stock pile of stuff that cost you nothing - or next to nothing?  Or to be able to make a HUGE donation to the local food pantry to help others in need?

I thought so too.  I bought a binder and Jeremy would go out on Sunday morning to get the papers (2) for me to cut the coupons.  I'd spend an hour cutting coupons, then watch the sales and try to match up.  And I got a few deals, learned a little bit.  Mostly I learned that I was spending more money by using the damn coupons on things I wouldn't normally buy!

In Michigan - none of the grocery stores double coupon.  Once in a while, maybe but, never consistently.  Nor do we have stores that offer a discount card (at least not in my area).  Which I'm not sure I understand...Michigan has been hardest hit by this mess of an economy - would that help the people in Michigan or hurt us more.

In the past, I have done most of my grocery shopping at Aldi.  Aldi distributes under their own brand where I can buy a gallon of milk for $2.39, a box of cereal for $1.79, and $5.29 for a can of coffee (not the little can).  Milk in my regular store - I've never seen it lower than $2.50.  Even the store brand of cereal is more than $1.99/box.  And coffee - at LEAST $8 for the same size can.  Even with a coupon for coffee- which rarely exists, I couldn't compete with Aldi.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I have gotten some pretty good deals with coupons.  For example, laundry detergent - $6.99 and buy one get one free.  Good deal, right?  I happened to have a coupon for $1 off of 2.  I walked out with 2 bottles for $5.99.  Better yet - a detergent on clearance from $8.99 to $4.99 and I had 2 - $1 off coupons.  I got each bottle for $3.99.  Now - question is, did I need laundry detergent (let alone 4 bottles)?  No.  Not really.  But, I got a good deal.

I had a similar thing happen with deli sliced cheese.  On sale 2/$5.  I had a coupon for $1 off of each.  I got those cheeses for $1.50 a piece.  (Did you know that you can use 2 coupons because you're buying 2 items?).  Again, did I need cheese?  Nope.  But again, I got a good deal.

See what I mean.  I spent almost $20 on things that I didn't really need.  And that's not including the price of the newspaper.  Yet, I did have them later rather than spending more to buy them in the future.  Am I really saving any money? 

I found I was spending my $120 budget at Aldi and then spending another at least $50 at the big store using coupons.

I did find that purchasing the name brand items, even using coupons was costing me more money over the store brand, over the Aldi brand.  I've given up the coupon game.  I've gone back to Aldi for my shopping.  Only using the big store to fill in the gaps.  I'm back to my $120/per 2 weeks budget.  And I'm saving my hour on Sunday to play Go Fish.  I like having more time for that!  See ya coupons!